Effects of combined exercise training and pharmacological treatment on blood pressure and renal parameters in an experimental model of hypertension and menopause.

Abstract

In postmenopausal women, increased blood pressure (BP) has been well documented. Moreover, autonomic dysfunction, inflammation, and oxidative stress have important roles in the pathophysiology of hypertension, which was associated with end organ damage, such as the kidneys. On the other hand, pharmacological therapy and combined physical training have been clinically recommended for BP control. However, the impact of these therapies has not yet been fully understood, especially regarding to the impact on renal tissue. Thus, the aim of present study was to investigate the effects of combined physical training and antihypertensive pharmacological treatment on BP and renal parameters in an experimental model of hypertension and menopause. Spontaneously hypertensive 3‐month‐old rats (SHR) were divided into 5 groups: sedentary (S; n = 4), sedentary ovariectomized (SO; n = 4), hydrochlorothiazide‐treated sedentary ovariectomized (HSO; n = 4), trained ovariectomized (TO; n = 3) and trained hydrochlorothiazide‐treated ovariectomized (THO; n = 4). Ovariectomy was performed by bilateral removal of the ovaries. After 5 days of treatment (placebo or pharmacological) and adaptation to the treadmill and training ladder, groups S and OS continued with placebo treatment for 8 weeks, while the other groups continued treatment with antihypertensive drug (30mg / kg Hydrochlorothiazide diluted in drinking water) and / or CPT (3 days / week, 40–60% of maximum capacity). Tail plethysmography BP measurements were performed at one pre‐intervention week and at the 1st, 4th and 8th intervention weeks. At week 7, the rats were kept in metabolic cages for 24 hours to collect urine. There was no difference between the groups for pre‐intervention BP. The THO, TO and HSO groups had reduced BP levels compared to the SO group at the end of the protocol (p <0.01). There was a correlation between physical capacity on stairs (PCS) and BP levels at week 1 (r = −0.49) and week 4 (r = −0.48). There is no difference in urinary output between groups; However, metabolic cage urine output correlated with treadmill physical capacity (PCT) (r = −0.47). Right kidney weight was significantly lower (p <0,01) in TO and THO groups compared to SO group (0.63±0.01; 0.63±0.01 vs. 0.79±0.08 g). Kidney weight was correlated with PCT (r = −0.59), urinary output (r = 0.73) and water consumption (r = 0.53). In conclusion, despite the results suggest similar benefits of pharmacological and non‐pharmacological treatment in the management of BP in the presence of ovarian hormone deprivation, attenuation of hypertension and menopause induced‐renal alterations was associated with improvement in physical capacity.